Forward March, Inc. (FMI) is a Service Disabled Veteran-owned small business based in San Antonio, Texas with offices in Houston and Las Vegas. In 2013, Paul along with Don Palen and Pahjmon Lipsey formed Forward March Inc. FMI delivers Business Consulting with a Military Flair. In 2014 FMI launched its “Camouflage to Corporate” conference series and Military Connect Application. In 2015 we launched our Elite Leader Training which also spawned Elite Source. Together we are committed to providing companies with outstanding military talent solutions and military styled leadership training unique in the industry.
Elite Leader Training: emerge – evolve – excel a truly unique immersive customized leader training and team building experience.
Camouflage to Corporate and Talent Pipeline Services – FMI has the experience and the expertise to help your organization Attract, Hire, and Retain high quality veteran, spouse and mil-family talent. We can do everything from providing your organization with the strategy and resources to managing the entirety of your military talent pipeline.
At FMI we pride ourselves on a history of client-partner relationships offering second-to-none consultative expertise at an effective cost. Our unique approach to business means that we can provide our clients with outstanding results while being very cost competitive. We pride ourselves on providing the right solutions, right training, and veteran talent at the right time, for the right price.
Forward March Inc. Today
Today FMI has grown and is working hard to bring success to our clients by providing the very best services in the industry. We are experiencing phenomenal growth and are now poised to release our custom solutions set to help the military reduce the number of transitioning military men and women who will go on unemployment. We are veterans and spouses that are committed to our fellow veterans and have developed a solution for helping the military bring companies and veterans together in a way that gives veterans something more than just a job. We stand ready to connect them to an outstanding career. Today companies are eager to hire the highest caliber military workforce in the history of our country. FMI is making that future happen today.
Forward March Inc. Team
The FMI Team is unique, diverse, and we bring to bear solutions that are highly successful for our customers and partners. Each of us has a different background and unique story that adds to the fabric of our organization.
CEO: Don Palen USAF (R)
Don spent 23 years in the US Air Force, retiring in 1995 as a Lieutenant Colonel in the Medical Service Corps (Health Care Administration). Since Don has held positions in Managed Care, Business Development, Public Relations, Sales, Marketing and Consulting. He has worked for a large Fortune 100 company and helped grow a small start-up company, as well as owning his own consulting business.
Don has a Bachelor’s Degree from the State University of New York at Utica/Rome and a Master’s Degree from the State University of New York at Plattsburgh.
PRESIDENT Paul C. Volpe II USA (R)
Paul spent 28 years in the US Army and Army Reserve, retiring in September, 2012. Paul began his career as an Armor crewman, served as a Drill Sergeant and completed the Army Sergeants Major Academy in 2006. Paul spent 12 years working with the Army PaYS (Partnership for Youth Success) program as the Army Recruiting Command – Commanding General’s subject matter expert on corporate partnerships. Paul has developed military hiring programs and partnerships with hundreds fortune 500 companies like Accenture, Harley-Davidson, USAA and Union Pacific Railroad and developed the first of its kind partnership with the State of Wisconsin.
Paul is currently serving on the City of San Antonio’s Military Advisory Committee and Subcommittee on Veteran Employment. He is the VP of Business Development for the Alamo AUSA Chapter. Paul has over 19 years of experience in working with military transition and corporate America.
United States Army Sergeants Major Academy - Small Group
Vice President of Business Development: Pahjmon Lipsey
Pahjmon is currently the Regional Director of Fred Astaire Dance Studios for the State of Texas. He also serves as VP of Business Development for Forward March Inc. and formed FMI along with Paul Volpe and Don Palen as they all shared the same vision of helping Veterans and Military members find careers after their call of duty. Pahjmon has been hiring and training military personnel for years to become instructors and franchise owners for Fred Astaire Dance Studios.
Pahjmon brings over 20 years of experience in developing companies and new products. In 1992 in Charlotte, NC his first business venture created an injection molding called (Stuffit) and then partnered with Slade,Inc to manufacture this product worldwide. In 1998 Pahjmon entered a franchise business with Fred Astaire Dance Studios International. In 2004, he became the Area Director for Texas and while in Houston, developed 11 franchises making Texas the fastest growing and highest revenue producing region in the industry.
In 2011 Pahjmon developed a manufacturing business for high end custom clothing (House of Hyka) and most recently created a new high end line of home décor franchise retail stores.
VP of Operations and Technology: Brian G Drew
Brian started his first company, Simply Computers, with one idea in mind; help the average person understand technology. That single idea was to take the complexity out of technology and leave the high-tech gibberish to the other guys; explain it in layman’s terms so that they could all understand. No longer would there be a barrier between those who know and those who do not. He then started Simplex Technologies, added executive services and higher-level clients.
Today, Simplex has rebranded into Maximus Technologies Solutions. As Brian started to grow, he partnered with several disabled-Veteran-owned companies with helping retiring Veterans transition out of the military. He then began building and partnering with other startups as a founding partner in Trident Secure, Global Commodities Management Group, and The PAHJ Group; to name just a few. The latest has him joining with another founding member of Trident to form Empire State Epoxy, a new flooring company using the latest in technology. And Thinkology; a brain trust of like-minded individuals bringing new ideas and solutions to the marketplace. This passion and business expertise will only help to drive Forward March into the future.
Military Outreach / Marketing / Candidate Manager: Amanda Fortuna Clase
Hello All,
My name is Amanda Fortuna Clase. I currently reside in Texas with my husband and two children. My husband is in the Air Force and works as a dog trainer. Essentially, he qualifies/certifies all future Military Working Dogs to be dispersed out to the various branches of the military across the world. Fitness and nutrition are extremely important to me and I make each of those a priority in my life on a daily basis. Without working out, I may go crazy! In my professional life, I previously worked for 10+ years primarily in the beauty and fitness industries in different roles. However, the experience that I gained can be applied to many industries. I am looking forward to the growth and new opportunities/experiences that I will gain at Forward March, Inc. I am very excited to be part of this team and assist veterans and their spouses with promising career opportunities!
Military Outreach Coordinator / Candidate Manager: Keighlen Gray
Hello everyone!
Keighlen (Kay-Len) is an US Army Veteran where she served as a Combat Medic and was medically discharged in 2017. She has three beautiful little boys and a wonderful husband, who is also an Army Veteran and is now a firefighter, and lives in Arizona. She has a Bachelors in Business Administration from the University of Alaska Fairbanks. She has a passion for helping Veterans and their families find careers that will help them transition and live comfortably outside of the military.
As a veteran myself, I understand the difficulties of finding a position outside of the military and it would be my pleasure to help others so that they do not have the same struggles. I am so excited to be a part of this team and help Veterans and their families find growth in new opportunities.
OUR MISSION
We provide industry leading solutions to create a more productive, motivated, and focused staff through military leadership styled training, Military Talent Acquisition & Transition, as well as strategic business solutions.
Our Vision
Our vision is to be the most sought after company for our services helping companies hire veterans and employ military style solutions for leadership and corporate success.
Our Values
Integrity
Respect
Accountability
Teamwork
Innovation
Determination
These are our values, they are our characteristics, and they guide our mission. They are the very reason that FMI continually sets the very highest standards in the industry. We are highly dedicated to our fellow veterans, their families, and to our civilian partners.
Forward March, Inc. History
Paul C. Volpe II USA (R) - Founder / President FMI started Forward March, Inc. in 2013 to bring the very best of the military practices that he learned and employed throughout his 28 year career in the US Army to businesses while working the US Army PaYS Program. The idea was to bring military style leadership training, and the very best veteran talent to companies to help them to perform better across the board in their day to day operations.
Paul brings to bear a unique experience spanning over 19 years helping America's top companies learn how to Attract, Hire, and Retain the very best military talent. The companies Paul has worked with have experienced all of the value of hiring veterans to include:
Accountability
Productivity
Loyalty
Innovative
Self - motivated
High Standards
Values
Moral fiber
Safety conscious
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